Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Please welcome today's guest blogger, Devyn Quinn

Hello Devyn and welcome to Erotic Times. Thank you for being my guest blogger today. I’m looking forward to this fun day.

Devyn: Thanks for having me, Marty. It’s a pleasure. J

Marty: When did you start writing? What made you try to become published?

Devyn: I started writing when I was about 12 or 13 years old, after devouring all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and Vickie Barr books that had ever been published at the time. I just knew I was meant to be a writer and I wanted to create worlds and characters that entertained and thrilled readers. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t happy with the idea and discouraged it. I put the idea away until my early 20’s, when I began to rework some ideas I’d had for a gothic series. It took another ten or so years to get published, though. Writing is something that always got put aside in my life. I’ve always had to come back and give it one more shot, though. Like a virus, I just can’t seem to get it out of my system.

Marty: You debuted with Kensington Books in March of 2007 with your book Flesh and the Devil. Was this the first time you’d been published? If not, what was your first book published?

Devyn: Flesh and the Devil was my first NY book, but it wasn’t my first published book. My actual first published book was released in 1995 through NPI, and sank like a stone when the publisher filed bankruptcy. In the interim, I began to learn about e-publishing, which was still an innovative idea in the early 90’s. Through the years, I have signed (and still am published) with several e-publishers. Flesh and the Devil was actually a short novella when I subbed to NY hoping to make a sale. The editor liked the title, but wanted a different concept. So I tossed out everything and rewrote from page 1, turning a novella into a novel as my first Kensington release.

Marty: I love how you use the tag of goth-erotic romance. Just saying it aloud sends a shiver up my spine. What is it that draws you to create these dark works of fiction?

Devyn: Even on the brightest day, when there is nary a shadow in sight, I see the darkest of things lurking in the background. I have a natural inclination to be drawn the occult and the supernatural. It’s the world I know best, so I have the desire to share it with readers.

Marty: Many authors have a “must-have” drink, food, music, or even pictures or items near them when they sit down to work. I personally work better with a Mountain Dew sitting next to me. J Do you have a “must-have”?

Devyn: My biggest thing is music. I have to have some kind playing in the background, something that speaks to the mood of the scene I am writing. I have everything from dark and dangerous (A Bach fugue) to modern bubblegum pop (Britney Spears) and even rap. And I must have my Red Bull or ice coffee within reach. Once I have those two things, I am good to go.

Marty: You’ll probably be asked this lots of times on your virtual tour, but who is your favorite character you’ve created? Is he or she modeled after a real person?

Devyn: My favorite character, hands down, is Morgan Satin-Evanston from my Eternity series. He’s a bipolar, alcoholic assassin with suicidal tendencies. Oh, yeah, he’s also the Grim Reaper, LOL. Is he modeled after a real person? Yes, and no. Morgan’s what I call my “Dirty Harry” side, my alter ego—that dark half of my mind where I’m allowed to run amok, think and do rotten things without finding myself in handcuffs heading toward prison. I like Morgan so much that I managed to stick him into Sins of the Night as a cameo character. Since he’s usually so serious in his own series, I decided to let him cut loose and have some fun.

Marty: Titles are always a challenge for me. Most of my WIPs go without a title until the very end. On your website you’ve got a list of stories that you “might write someday” and they all have titles. Do titles come with the plot ideas? How often have you had to change a title?

Devyn: Those are subject to change without notice. The titles are mostly my way of keeping them catalogued in my head. Should an editor send out a call for a certain genre, I can whip through my titles and see if I have something that might fit. That’s how I sold several novellas to Kensington. I had the titles and concepts in mind and was ready to submit the synopsis I have prepared. Many got to keep the titles I subbed them with, such as “Thunderstruck” in the Eros Island Anthology, and “Personal Possessions” in the forthcoming Dangerous Ties anthology (April ’09). Others changed as my editor had a better idea, such as “No Strings Attached” in the Trio anthology. It was originally titled “Indecent Exposure”.

Marty: You have a couple of ménage a trois stories available. Two men to one female. Have you ever thought about venturing into some male on male action in your books?

Devyn: I actually do male/male in my Kynn books, Sins of the Flesh and Sins of the Night. It’s also in Embracing Midnight, my forthcoming release in late Nov. And ‘No Strings Attached” in the Trio anthology also has male/male action, as one of the male characters is bisexual.

Interviewer's note: I just completed No Strings Attached and...whew...it was hot! I do believe Ms. Quinn has hooked me with her writing. :-P

Marty: You’ve received a number of recommended reads and awards. Is there one that delighted you the most or made you the most proud?

Devyn: I’m always stunned when I get one, so it’s hard to pick which one made me cry most, as they all make me cry. I’m also so grateful a reader or reviewer liked my book enough to give it special notice or an award.

Marty: What do you do to relax or have fun?

Devyn: My biggest thing is watching movies. I don’t own a television, as I find they distract from what I should be doing—writing. I do own a DVD player and I like to stretch out on the bed with a glass of wine late at night and watch a good movie or my favorite TV series, like Lost or Dexter. Sometimes I’ll just take a few days and watch a whole season’s worth of shows. My second biggest guilty pleasure is my magazines. I am a Cosmo ho, and have to have my monthly dose. I also love my Entertainment Weekly and Writer’s Digest. I make it point to ready daily, too, if only a few pages.

Marty: What’s your favorite place? (city, state, park?)

Devyn: My favorite place is right at home, parked in front of the computer and doing what I do best. Working on a new book. I’m not much of a traveler and with gas prices so high, I’m getting out less and less. It’s one of the reasons I decided to do a virtual book tour rather than try and drive to all the surrounding bookstores.

Marty: Where can readers find more about you and your books?

Devyn: Everyone can hop on over to www.devynquinn.com and take a look. I tried to design my site to be user friendly, but if anyone has problems they can email me at author@devynquinn.com and let me know if they have an issue.

24 comments:

Hi Devyn,thanks for the interview! Gothic and erotic, that sounds great! I haven't yet read your books, but one of my favorite authors, Kate Douglas recommened you and that made me interested!I'll put you on my wishlist...

Kudos on your tour and your upcoming events. I'm so glad Marty clued me in to your stop over at Erotic Times.I will definitely have to look up your work!Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us.

What a fantastic interview. I keep learning more and more about you as an author. No television. So everything is from your mind, with no outside influences. I can't picture you as Morgan Satin-Evanston but it might be interesting to have a female equivalent, who looks like you, in their own book. I await tomorrows blog information.

Thanks for the comments, all. I try and stop by a few times a day and read and comment as I can. :) Interviews are always fun and each blog owner has approached them in a different way, which makes some answers so revealing, LOL.

Eva, I love Kate D. She is a heroine of mind, hands down. Her Wolf Tales are awesome.

LOL, Cheryl, I'm trying not to give the same old rote answers!

Laura, Morgan is my favorite character hands down. I absolutely love that sullen bastard, so much that I put him in Sins of the Night in a cameo. I am planning to do an early centuries series. Imagine Morgan during the Salem witch trials, LOL.

Irwirum, I love my magazines. I need to add Reader's Digest tothe mix and sometimes I even pick up a People, LOL.

Kris, thank you for reading my books. I hope you'll let me know what you thought of them.

Jan, I love my shows so much. They really give me a lift when I am down and needing some entertainment. I am looking forward to the next seasons of both shows!

Stephanie, yes some of the interviewers have thrown me some great questions. Hope I answered them halfway coherently!

Karrie, yes I do m/m and most of my vampire themed books have at least a little in it. :)

Orelukjp0, hehe, Morgan is definitely my alter ego, my dark half. I don't get away with what he can, but I sometimes wish to in my dark little mind!

Ooh, look at all the people stopping by :-)Don't forget to ask Devyn any questions if you have any. Oh, and I posted a little bit about "No Strings Attached" at Worlds of Mayhem http://worldsofmayhem.blogspot.com/